Thanks for the additional videos... this is clearly a real and visible threat to our environment unlike the debates some have regrading the invisible carbon and fossil fuel impacts.

And 13 years later I certainly do not think we are any better!

I won't post the link here-
posits that all the ocean's saltwater fish will be gone by 2048.

Just think about that for a moment.
Regardless of what you think of that date, and how far off it is... early or late
the mere fact that we are discussing it should be cause to snap one's head around.

It's not in my back yard so I ain't worried attitude is gonna kill us.

I think if you look at the rate of major disasters over the last few years such as fukashima and the bp spill for starters...
and the sheer volume of toxicity being poured into, and tons of fish being yanked out or needlessly killed in our oceans
I hope we aren't too late. Because I doubt much will change in the next 13 years.

Hell, major worldwide media outlets and political orgs have made it part of their agendas
(all bought and paid for by the petro industrial complex, among other big money interests)
to advance the idea that climate change as well is a hoax. Not a small possibility, but complete horsefeathers.
And a not-insignificant number of people have bought into it.

this here is real stuff in front of our faces and still we do nothing.

keep on gutting the epa... I'm sure your bottom line is doing ok.

one more comment to the plastic zone...
when considering square miles of unusable and/or toxic parts of our oceans

I would add the dead zone at the mouth of the Miss River... due mostly to fertilizer runoff upstream.

I'm sure there's more. I can't wait for the Russians to ruin the Arctic with an nice oil-related disaster.

http://www.algalita.org

I think we as boaters should take the initiative to first and foremost police ourselves beginning with cigarette butts. (my pet peeve). Cleaning up the areas after we congregate will go a very long way with the locals, I have spent hours cleaning up the disgusting aftermath of HotBoat all while explaining to the locals that all gofast boaters are not the same. This is in no way intended to cause a debate, just awareness. A large percentage of the boaters in my area do a great job! (except the butts!)

bobbo

I cannot agree more with your post... it does being with us! I remember several years ago while on the Mississippi we had a friend on our boat making White Russians with those little white plastic creamer packs and when he was done he just tossed them all into the river!! I was lucky enough to have caught them all before going downstream, "we all boat here!" was my response to him. Did it make a difference? Did he change his ways after that day? I have no idea, but what I do know, there just that much less plastic in our waterways.

Up here in the the great white north I feel the boaters go above and beyond to keep are play ground clean and safe but in the oceans its legal to dump as long as your so far off shore (correct me if i'm wrong)
That's just plain dumb.

And this video had no influence from the debris produced from the Japan tsunami??

Complying arguments, and a tear at the heart strings but most of these videos are made with a political propose in mind.

You posted on a website that has no problem with the idea of burning massive amounts of fossil fuels to feed our waterborne speed wishes. What is your proposed fix to the problem that you have brought to our attention?

There is nothing political about stopping plastics from entering the ecosystem. It affects everything. It will take a long time to move this issue to the front just like CFC's and leaded gasoline did back in the 1970's. I remember in the 70's not having PE some days because there was a stage I or stage II "smog alert". The problem with this issue is waaaaaaaaaaay different. It is not localized and no one "owns" the ocean so any country can NOT educate and/or regulate plastic handling and be a major global problem. Most folks won't give a fack about all this hullabaloo about plastic pollution on a daily basis. Others will.........and will make changes in their life and try to influence others change as well. THAT is what this thread is about. Education.

I believe this coast guard plaque is required on all boats? NO PLASTIC EVER.

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